Electric cord terminal



March 29, 1938. F SAMBLESCQN 2,112,680

ELECTRIC CORD TERMINAL Filed Oct. 25, 1934 Fig. 1

Inventor: Robert F. Samblson,

His Attorney.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CORD TERMINAL Robert F.Sambleson, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application October 25, 1934, Serial No. 749,935

1 Claim.

My invention relates to an improved electric cord terminal.

Tabulating machines and the like are provided with electric cords forinterconnecting circuits.

The circuit connections must be frequently changed and so it isnecessary to disconnect the cords and reconnect them. Difficulty hasbeen experienced with cords formerly used in the fre quent breakage ofthe conductor at or adjacent 0 to the plug terminal.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved cord which willWithstand hard usage and which may be manufactured economically.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood byreference to the following specification and appended claim whenconsidered in connection with accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is aplan View of my improved cord; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view ofone end of the cord, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view at rightangles to Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I0 indicates an electric cord having astranded conductor II with a covering I2 of insulating material andterminals I3 and I4 connected to each end of the conductor I I.Terminals I3 and I4 are of the type used to connect conductors totelephone jacks and have annular depressions I5 and I6 respectivelywhich are engaged by spring contact clips of the jacks, not shown.Terminals I3 and It may be removed from the jacks by a pull on the cord.

The repeated strains placed on the cord-frequently result in a breakageof the conductor.

The conductor most often breaks at the point of its connection to theterminal where the strain .is transmitted tothe terminal. To relieve theconductor of any strain at this point a resilient connection is madebetween the conductor and terminal. Also the terminal is secureddirectly to the covering of insulation so that the strain is transmittedto the terminal through the covering instead of the conductor. As bestindicated in Figs. 2 and 3, terminal I3 is a hollow metal tube closed atone end and open at the other end. Terminal I3 extends over the end ofconductor 'II and covering I2. The bared end of conductor II is loopedback over the end of covering I2 and extends out through the open end ofterminal I3. ConductorII is connected to. terminal I3 adjacent its openend as by means of solder II. Terminal I3 is secured to covering I2 byprojections I8 and I9 which are embedded in the covering I2. ProjectionsI8 and Ill are formed by lancing the terminal I3 on opposite sides afterit has been placed-over the end of conductor II and covering I2. By thisconstruction any strain produced by a pull on the cord is transmitted tothe terminal directly by the cover- 10 ing of insulation and notby theconductor. In addition if the conductor II is moved within the coveringI2 it is not placed under strain because of the looped connection of theconductor II to the terminal I3. In such a case the loop in the 15 endof conductor II is merely shortened or lengthened depending on thedirection of movement. To prevent breakage of the conductor II by atwisting or bending of the cord over the open end of terminal I3 aresilient strain relief 20 is provided, formed preferably of rubber and20 molded over the open end of terminal I3 and the adjacent portion ofcovering I2. Strain relief 20 is tapered away from terminal I3 todistribute the bending or twisting strain over a larger area. 1

From the foregoing it will be seen that an improved cord is providedwhich will have a longer life and one which may be expeditiously andeconomically manufactured.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

In combination, a conductor, a covering of insulating material for saidconductor, a hollow terminal surrounding the conductor and covering,said conductor having a bared end extending back over the adjacent endofthe covering within the terminal to a point beyond the confines ofsaid terminal with a portion thereof bent over v the end of theterminal, means fixedly electrically 40 connecting the bent-over portionof the conduc tor to the outer periphery of the terminal, a pro vjectiononsaid terminal embedded in the coverportion ofthe conductor andcovering.

ROBERT F. SAMBLESON.

